Charlotte Ross

Charlotte Ross
Ross in August 2016
Born (1968-01-21) January 21, 1968 (age 56)
EducationNew Trier High School
OccupationActress
Years active1986–present
Spouse
Michael Goldman
(m. 2003; div. 2008)
Children1
WebsiteCharlotteRoss.com

Charlotte Ross (born January 21, 1968) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Eve Donovan on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1987 to 1991, and as Detective Connie McDowell on the ABC police procedural drama series NYPD Blue from 2001 to 2004.

Early life

Ross was born in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, Illinois, on January 21, 1968, and grew up there. Her parents are Debbie Ross Kullby, and Peter Ross (died 2009), who was a financial advisor.[1] She has one sibling, younger brother George, an NYC-based triathlete and hedge fund-analyst.[2] Her first on-screen performance was in My First Mouthpiece when she was eight years old. She moved on to performing in various theater productions around metropolitan Chicago.

Career

After graduating from New Trier High School, Ross moved to Los Angeles, which her father opposed.[3] She auditioned for the role of Kelly Bundy in the Fox comedy series Married... with Children, but was the producers' second choice behind Christina Applegate to whom she lost the role, before being cast as Eve Donovan on Days of Our Lives. Four years later, Ross co-starred with Katey Sagal in the television film Violation of Trust (aka She Says She's Innocent). The year after that, she guest starred on Married... with Children as one of Bud Bundy's sexier classmates.

Ross's run on Days of Our Lives lasted from 1987 to 1991, earning her two Emmy Award nominations. Her other television credits include the musical drama series The Heights (where she sang on the Billboard Number One hit "How Do You Talk to an Angel"),[4] The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, Drexell's Class, Pauly, Law & Order, Trinity, Beggars and Choosers, Frasier, Savage Land, Jake in Progress, Fall Into Darkness, and A Kiss So Deadly (which reunited with her Days co-star Charles Shaughnessy). She also co-starred in the Lifetime original films Montana Sky and Christmas in Paradise (both 2007).[5] She earned a Gold record in 1992 for her work as a singer on the soundtrack album to The Heights.[3]

Ross also played Connie McDowell in the ABC police procedural drama series NYPD Blue from 2001 to 2004.[6] On February 25, 2003, Ross appeared in an NYPD Blue episode entitled "Nude Awakening", which featured shots of her buttocks as she prepared to step into the shower.[3][7] As a result, the FCC fined each of the 52 ABC stations with a $27,500 fine (a combined $1,430,000) for broadcasting "indecent material" between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. However, on January 4, 2011, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously revoked the fine, stating that the FCC's enforcement of its indecency rules was "unconstitutionally vague and chilling." ABC, Inc., et al. v. Federal Communications Commission, No. 08-0841-ag(L) (2nd Cir.).

In 2006, Ross joined Billy Blanks to co-host a series of Tae-Bo infomercials. In 2011, Ross appeared as Candy in Summit's 3D film Drive Angry, alongside Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard.[8] From 2009 to 2012, Ross began a recurring role on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee as Judy Fabray, the mother of Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron). She appeared in four episodes. In 2013, Ross began starring in the VH1 sports drama series Hit the Floor.[9] In 2014, Ross passed on an offer to return to Days of Our Lives as Eve Donovan, and her role was recast with Kassie DePaiva because she was too busy with other acting projects.[10] Ross made a guest appearance in the ABC musical drama series Nashville.[10] Later in the same year, she was cast as Felicity Smoak's mother in The CW superhero series, Arrow.[11]

Personal life

On October 18, 2003, Ross married Michael Goldman. They welcomed their only child, son Maxwell Ross Goldman, on March 23, 2004.[2] The couple separated in 2008. Ross currently resides in Los Angeles.[12]

Activism

In 2002, Ross supported PETA's anti-fur campaign by appearing naked in advertisements captioned "I'd Rather Show My Buns Than Wear Fur".[13]

In 2014, Ross signaled her support to the Animal Legal Defense Fund campaign "National Justice for Animals Week" by filming a video.[14]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1986 Touch and Go Courtney's Girlfriend
1994 Foreign Student Elizabeth 'Sue Ann' Baldridge
Love and a .45 Mary Ann
Savage Land Mandy
1998 Looking for Lola Debbie
2007 Moola Nora
Live! Jennifer
2011 Drive Angry Candy
Street Kings 2: Motor City Beth Kingston Direct-to-video
The Umpire Billie Satriano Short film
2014 Rita Mahtoubian is Not a Terrorist Lana Short film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987–1991 Days of Our Lives Eve Baron Donovan Series regular; role from July 16, 1987, to July 12, 1991
Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series (1990–1991)
1991 She Says She's Innocent
aka Violation of Trust
Justine Essex Television film
Reasonable Doubts Meredith Little Episode: "Dicky's Got the Blues"
1992 Empty Nest Antoinette Episode: "Sayonara"
Drexell's Class Janet Episode: "The Resentments"
Married... with Children Darlene Episode: "Teacher Pets"
The Heights Hope Linden Series regular; 13 episodes
1994 Birdland Ronnie Episode: "Crazy for You"
1994–1995 The 5 Mrs. Buchanans Bree Buchanan Series regular; 17 episodes
1995–1996 Murder One Stephanie Lambert Episodes: "Chapter Eight" and "Chapter Seventeen"
1996 ER Angel Episode: "The Right Thing"
Minor Adjustments Amy Episode: "Baba-Doo-Wang"
A Kiss So Deadly Amanda Blake Television film
Fall into Darkness Ann Price Television film
1997 Pauly Dawn Delaney Series regular; 7 episodes
1998 A Will of their Own Susan Peterson TV miniseries
Trinity Fiona McCallister Series regular; 10 episodes
NYPD Blue Laurie Richardson Episodes: "The One That Got Away" and "I Don't Wanna Dye"
1999 Kidnapped in Paradise Megan Emerson Television film
1999–2001 Beggars and Choosers Lori Volpone Series regular; 42 episodes
2001 Frasier Monica Episode: "Sliding Frasiers"
2001–2004 NYPD Blue Det. Connie McDowell Series regular; 70 episodes
2006 Jake in Progress Annie 3 episodes
2007 Law & Order Judith Barlow Episode: "Talking Points"
Montana Sky Tess Mercy Television film (Lifetime)
Christmas in Paradise Dana Marino Television film (Lifetime)
2008 Ring of Death Mary Wyatt Television film (Spike)
2009 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Sabrina Owen Episode: "If I Had a Hammer..."
2009–2012 Glee Judy Fabray 4 episodes
2013 Hit the Floor Olivia Vincent Series regular (season 1)
2014 Nashville Ruth Bennett Episode: "Guilty Street"
2014–2017 Arrow Donna Smoak[15] Recurring role (seasons 3–4 & 6)

References

  1. ^ "Charlotte Ross Biography (1968-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Charlotte Ross - Biography". IMDb.
  3. ^ a b c "Charlotte Ross Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  4. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book Of Number 1 Hits (5 ed.). Billboard Books. p. 812. ISBN 0-8230-7677-6.
  5. ^ Miska, Brad (February 21, 2010). "Beauty Charlotte Ross Will 'Drive Angry'". Bloody-Disgusting.com. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "Charlotte Ross". HuffPost. August 2, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  7. ^ Eng, Joyce (January 5, 2011). "Court Nixes NYPD Blue Nudity Fine". TV Guide. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  8. ^ "Charlotte Ross joins 'Drive Angry'". The Hollywood Reporter. February 21, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  9. ^ Lowry, Brian (May 23, 2013). "TV Review: Hit the Floor". Variety. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Charlotte Ross on DAYS' Eve Donovan Recast: 'Had to Pass on Reprising My FAVE Role'". Daytime Confidential. January 24, 2014. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  11. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 1, 2014). "Arrow Casts Felicity's Mother — For Real, or For Flashback?". TVLine. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  12. ^ "Charlotte Ross". Twitter. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  13. ^ "When Fur Offends". Lucire. 2002. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  14. ^ "Charlotte Ross for National Justice for Animals Week". Animal Legal Defense Fund. 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  15. ^ "Marc Guggenheim on Twitter". Twitter. August 22, 2014.